Doors that I love

Not sure if I am the only one who loves a beautifully original yet inviting main door way. Many people love architecture and I do too but I am always drawn to the doorway first and foremost.

Dig It

I tried these UGG sandals on at the Bay this weekend. I know they don't look like much but they are really cute on and they are super comfortable! Like crazy comfortable!

Randomness on a Tuesday

 Good Morning All! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday. This will be a very random post so my apologies but sometimes these posts are the most fun to write.

First we had some visitors stop by our pool the other day. A female and male duck appear every spring to take a dip, splash around and say hi to the dogs. You can only see the male in this picture but soon after I took this another male duck swooped in and there was a bit of a love triangle going on and the female flew away with male duck #2 to leave this little guy all alone. I know how you feel bro!

A friend of my Roomies dropped by a couple of weeks ago as he was in town for business and brought over this AMAZING rum called Kraken. It's spiced and sweet so if you don't like that type rum you will probably not enjoy this; I however LOVED it. I actually drank it straight over ice which I never do; it was that good.

For those of you wondering what a Kraken is, it's basically a huge mythical Octopus.

Very cool display of the Kraken Rum.

Photo source: www.retailhellunderground.com 

And more randomness with this picture of me ready to head out the door for another glorious day at work <insert sarcasm here> ;-)

Blouse: Ricki's (love this as it doesn't need to be ironed that much)

Belt: Le Chateau (very old)

Skirt: Ricki's which you have seen here

Bag: Coach, referenced here

Peachy Keen

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. I was fortunate enough to get my hair cut and highlighted on Saturday at The Spa in Bell's Corner's in Ottawa. I can usually get away with 9-10 weeks between hair highlighting but boy oh boy by week 9 my hair really needs it! Feels so much better to have "fresh" hair, doesn't it?

*Sorry for some of the blurriness in this pictures, they were taken with the oldest iPhone known to man ;-)*

Whenever I get my hair done, my hair dresser straightens it. Such a nice change for us curly haired Gals :-)

Since I was in that neck of the woods I ventured to Bayshore Mall to see if there was anything fun to buy. Smart Set was having a sale on dresses and since I am a self diagnosed dress addict I had to try on at least one.

Shopping outfit #1

Top: American Apparel

Jeans: Rag & Bone

Shoes: Fairweather that I got on sale last weekend for $10

Necklace: Dynamite

Bracelet: Ricki's

Tried on this Vintage Chiffon dress in this lovely peachy, coral color in both medium and large. I decided that the large looked too tent-like so I went with the medium.

Close up of the medium.

Sunday I took a drive to Wal-Mart and went super causal, it is Wally World after all :-)

Shopping Outfit #2

T-Shirt: Lucky Brand (I totally love their graphic tee's and always pick some up when I am in Florida at the Premium Outlet Malls)

Pants: Old Navy Camo Capris. Very old but I still wear them from time to time.

Some Lace and Layers

 Top: Dynamite mentioned in this post

Jeans: Jessica Simpson Kiss Me Jeggings seen here and here and here. Yes I wear these a lot!

Necklaces: Dynamite (both)

 Shoes: Nine West seen here

Happy Friday Everyone! Have a fantastic weekend and see you on Monday oxoxoxoxox

M.I.A

So sorry I have been M.I.A this week. We have launched a new Sales Portal at work and it's been very hectic as I have been driving to different offices around town so I am away from my "home base". Also I normally do my blog updates from work (Shhhh! I know, naughty naughty!) and haven't had time this week with all the craziness.

The busy schedule and rainy, dreary weather has also lead to some very practical yet boring outfit choices. So rather than post a very blah outfit just for the sake of posting something I will hold off until I get out the door looking a bit more spiffy. Maybe since tomorrow is Casual Friday I will be able to come up with a somewhat stylish ensemble.

Here's me at work missing my blog. You can tell by the dark circles under my eyes the week I have had!

I hope everyone has been having a great week despite the rain!

Cheers to the freakin' weekend!

MelMac oxox

Dig It

I saw these Isabel Marant Heels while browing through Pinterest but can't seem to find them online....like to buy.....like NOW!!!! LOL I almost don't care how much these are, I needs to have'em :-)

The metal ankle strap is the clincher for me, so unique!

If anyone knows where you can buy these online, please leave a comment and I will be your BFFL! ;-)

I am here to save you from boring Chicken!

My Roomie made this AMAZING Chicken dish last night that I MUST share with you all as it is easy, unique and best of all, tasty. Now I first must prelude the recipe by saying I have a strong love/hate relationship with chicken. More specially those boneless, skinless chicken breasts we all buy and are a staple in almost everyone's diet.

Why? Well....

I love that white meat chicken is super good for you; it is low in fat, high in protein and you can use it in a variety of ways and cooking techniques.

I hate that it is the "go-to" protein in almost every relatively health meal and I feel overloaded with it at times. If you don't want to eat red meat, the alternative is chicken, chicken, chicken every where you turn! It can be so blah and boring and I can get sick of eating it really quickly. I also find that the white meat breasts have a weird taste to me sometimes, it's too "chickeny" tasting (yes I am well aware of how weird this sounds, I have tried to explain this to my Roomie and she thinks I am nuts, LOL).

So armed with this knowledge of my struggles with this white meat, my Roomie when she cooks tries different ways of making chicken to try and make it tolerable for me, how sweet is that?

So without further ado, here is the chicken dish that she created that pleased even me!

What you'll need (these measurements are a bit of a guess as the Roomie kind of winged it so alter these as you see fit):

• 1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 pack)
• 1/4 cup of Thai Seasoning (this link will take you to Club House but my Roomie found a great option at Bulk Barn that I wasn't able to find on their website so just use what you prefer)
• 1/2 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Coconut (the shredded kind)
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise (use your favorite brand)

What you'll do:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. Take the chicken breasts and lightly coat them in the mayonnaise. You don't want them sopping wet with mayo, just coated enough to give the spices something to stick to.
3. Place the Thai Seasoning, the Panko Bread Crumbs and the Coconut into a large Zip Lock bag and shake that around to mix it all together.
4. Place 1 or 2 chicken breasts in the Zip Lock bag and shake, shake, shake! Repeat for all of the remaining chicken breasts.
5. Place the breasts on a baking sheet that is covered in tin foil (for easy clean up) and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins (check them at 20 and cook longer if needed, juices should run clear!). The crust should be golden brown and you should serve right away!

We paired these chicken breasts with a cucumber and tomato salad with Renee's Cucumber Dill dressing (a household fav) and it was SO DELICIOUS! To make this recipe a bit lower in fat I would try substituting Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise. This dish can be made more kid friendly if you cut the chicken into strips or use cutlets instead!

Here is a picture of my lunch leftovers that I turned into an equally tasty Coconut Chicken Salad!

How good does this look!?

So there you have it, I am converted to a Chicken Lover after eating it this way (for now, LOL). Let me know if anyone tries this recipe, would love to hear if you found it as delish as I did and if you had any interesting variations!

Working with Stripes

I just bought this amazing striped skirt from Ricki's last week and I am obsessed with it. Normally stripes on the bottom half are a No-No for me as they can make you look wider but the pattern on this skirt is really flattering.

 I paired the skirt with a white T-Shirt and a Black Blazer with the sleeves rolled up for a less stuffy look. (Clothing info to follow)

 Skirt: Ricki's

T-Shirt: Joe Fresh

Blazer: RW Co.

I love this look! It is great for work and will take you into cocktail hour if need be. The design of this skirt would work on many body types and will go with just about anything. I am going to try to pair it will something red for an upcoming post. Stay tuned!!!!

Have you ever bought something that you thought wouldn't work and are pleasantly surprised when it does?

Currently Reading...

While at my Mom's over the weekend we were discussing the horrific details of Ariel Castro kidnapping Amanda Berry and 2 other women (I know, nice Mother's Day conversation) and we were dumbfounded by how someone could do that to another human being.

My Mom who is an avid reader, like most of my family, suggested I read the book ROOM by Emma Donoghue. It is a novel told from the perspective of 5 year old Jack, who is imprisoned in an 11 x 11 room with his Mother who he calls Ma. Jack was born in this room with only a bed, a wardrobe, a table, a toilet and a TV; it is the only world he has ever known. Ma has done her best to make a happy life for Jack while being held captive by "Old Nick", the man who abducted her.

For the first time I downloaded the book in Audio format and listened to it on my drive back to Kingston and while I drive to work ( I commute an hour every day). I am definitely going to listen to audio books again! Some may say that this is lazy and to really get into a book you need to read it but I respectfully disagree. Why not do something more productive than listening to the same playlist I have heard a thousand times or the radio? Why not listen to a book that you have been meaning to read for forever but haven't had the time? To me it is convenient as this is an hour of my day that is wasted and I never have time to sit a read a book for any period of time. That doesn't mean I wouldn't ever read again! I love to sit by a pool when I am on vacation and read; it's super relaxing and a great escape for the mind. But I am telling ya, audio books are going to be my new obsession.

Back to the book, you would think by the description of the story that it is depressing and disturbing but it is actually very a uplifting read. Because it is told from Jack's point of view, you see the innocence of how he perceives his life and how his Ma has made the best of an inconceivable situation to raise an observant, bright and optimistic Son. The author does a fantastic job of showing bits of the abuse "Old Nick" subjects Jack and Ma to without it being graphic or sad. Her writing is real and very captivating considering most of the book takes place in one room.

If you are looking for a good read this Summer or if you are like me and want to try an audio book for a change, check out ROOM by Emma Donoghue. You will love it!

Mother's Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend and that all you Moms out there were spoiled rotten! I traveled to Kingston to spend the weekend with my Mom and we had a lovely long walk at Lemoine Point, a park/conservation area near Collins Bay. This is my Mom's favorite place in Kingston.

Again, I have to apologize for the quality of these pictures. They were taken with my very old iPhone so they aren't the best quality and no zoom available :-(

 We spotted a Geese family going for a dip. Can you see the babies?

 So cute!

 With it being Spring and all, there are tons of babies out and about. Here's a little baby lamb (or a kid I should say) bouncing around the rocks at Lemoine Farm. 

 Me and the Trilliums, Ontario's Provincial Flower.

 My Mom at her favorite place in the whole world!

Tranquility

I also took my Mom to Chez Piggy (look out for a Eat Here Before you Die Post on this place soon) for Sunday Brunch and had the most amazing Lobster Eggs Benedict! OH EMMM GEEEE it was sooo good. And unfortunately I forgot my phone in the car so no pictures of that. Booo! But I found this picture just randomly on the Web to give you an idea of how luscious this dish was.

This is basically what it looked like.....heavenly!

What did everyone do for Mother's Day?

Peplum. It's not for everyone...

I dashed out at lunch to get some Farm Boy deliciousness, my fav salad bar around the corner.....

That's Tomato Basil soup (yummers!) with some Greek salad, Thai noodle salad, Edamame bean salad, red cabbage (so good for you) and a Vitamin Water.

After that wonderful bite to eat, I ran over to Ricki's to see what they had worth getting. I was pressed for time so I didn't get to really have a good look at everything. I have been loving the Peplum trend and spotted some cute Peplum tops in a beautiful red.

 This is the XL. It was a little too big.

This was the Large. I love the color but I honestly don't think that this style does anything for me. I am big on top with a short waist and Peplum just accentuates those flaws IMHO.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some.....but in this case I win by not spending any $$money$$...YAY!

Stripes and the City

So sorry I have been MIA, this week has been a little busier than normal with work. As a result my mind has been in a stupor from the time I get home until bedtime so my blogging brain has been on hiatus!

 Top: Forever 21

Jeans: Jessica Simpson Kiss me Jeggings, seen here and here

Shoes: Aldo White Wedges

Just playing around in the bathroom, ya know....totally normal behavior :-)

I  love this shirt from Forever 21 that I bought while in Colorado for a work trip many years ago. I was super thrilled when I saw it on TV during an episode of The City (GAWD I miss that show). Some girl that worked at Diane Von Furstenberg with Whitney Port was wearing this very shirt! I wish I had a screen shot to show you but sadly I don't :-(

Upon closer inspection of this shirt in the picture above I see a tear happening under the armpit! Oh no! I guess this fav of mine is on it's last legs. I hadn't notice this rip this morning because a) I am NOT a morning person so I am in a haze for the better part of 7am to about 10am and b) the rip was in a place that wasn't super obvious.

Are you like me, do you get sentimental about pieces of clothing and die a little inside when you have to throw it away?

First Pool Day!

Ahhhh! I CANNOT believe I am posting a picture of myself in a bikini. I remember when I first started this blog I didn't even want to post a picture of myself fully clothed! But I am really proud of the progress that I have made with eating healthier and even though I am certainly not where I want to ultimately be, I am compelled to celebrate how far I have come. If I can do this, you mostly definitely can!

The other reason for the bikini picture is that this weekend was all about the pool and taking in some much needed vitamin D of the natural variety. I am so fortunate to live in a gorgeous home (not mine) that has a spectacular pool. Now I know some of you will not approve of laying in the sun due to skin cancer but there is something to be said about being in the sunlight and fresh air that is good for the soul. I did wear sunscreen but probably didn't apply it as often as I should have.( I know naughty, naughty!)

I love having flowers in my bedroom and these happy little fellows enjoyed the bright sunlight almost as much as I did.

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! Did anyone else get outside and garden, tan, exercise?

Casual Friday

 Shoes: Aldo, seen HERE as well

 Shirt: Dynamite

White Tank: Unknown

Jeans: Jessica Simpson Kiss Me Jeggings, seen HERE

Necklace: Dynamite seen HERE

Side View

Look down from above

How awesome is it that the weather is finally sunny and warm! If you are reading this from Colorado or Minnesota I am very sorry to say that it is tremendous outside here in Ottawa and most of Ontario. But don't worry, your summer will come just as ours did :-)

With the warmer weather here, we just had our Summer Dress Code email come out (I work in an office). It stated that Gentlemen could not wear Shorts or Sandals and that the women could not wear Spaghetti Straps or Flip Flops (women can wear shorts). Ummmmmm... WHAT?

First I would think that women wearing shorts is at much higher risk if violating the appropriate barrier as we often would wear short Shorts. Men however often wear longer shorts so what is that about?

I do agree with Men not wearing Sandals. Sorry Guys but the majority of you are about 10 years over due for a pedicure.

And no FLIP FLOPS! Now I do wear some form of dress high heel or wedge most days but sometimes a girl needs to give her feet a break and that's where I have a problem with no Flip Flops. 

Come on!  Flip Flops = Summer

Does your work have a Summer Dress Code? If so, do you agree with it?

Current Obsessions

I go on kicks. Clothing brand kicks, food kicks, exercise kicks. I obsess and then as quickly as it came, the obsession is gone and I am on to the next.....

My current obsessions are these oatmeal packs from Sally's cereals. I store at my desk at work and eat them every morning. They come in amazing flavors such as Cinnamon Plum, Chai Spiced and Dark Chocolate, they are organic and have flax which is so good for you! They keep me feeling full for the morning and the flavors satisfy my taste buds completely! For any of you following Weight Watchers, they are 4 points per serving which isn't bad. I found these at Wal-Mart for $1.77 CND for 5 pouches. I actually think this kick will be here to stay, at least for a little while :-)

For when I am having a food craving I have been turning to Icebreakers Sours by Hershey's. For some reason if I am craving sweet or savory, these little powerhouses really kick my craving to the curb.

What do you turn to when you are having a craving?????

Dig It

I am so digging the color green right now, more specifically an emerald green. I came across this dress on ASOS.com and immediately loved it. It is the ASOS Skater Dress With Ballet Wrap And Short Sleeves in green and it is $38.29 CDN. I find v-necks very flattering for us bustier gals and the wrap dress is the perfect figure flattering shape if you are a more boyish body type.

I have SO MANY dresses already that I really shouldn't get this but I likely will :-)